What will be the next vacant position filled in the NHL?

With the Toronto Maple Leafs hiring their new general manager in Brad Treliving, and the Nashville Predators firing John Hynes and hiring Andrew Brunette, the NHL job market seems to be picking up a bit as the NHL Draft and Free Agency approaches.

Who will be the next team to fill their vacancies? Frank Seravalli and Colby Cohen answered that question on Daily Faceoff Live.

Colby Cohen: I think the New York Rangers are going to pull the trigger here on a coach soon. I do think John Hynes becoming available…

Frank Seravalli: I was going to ask you. You’re a BU guy, John Hynes is a BU guy, Chris Drury’s a BU guy, give us the scoop.

Colby Cohen: And not to mention Drury and Hynes were teammates at BU. They did have overlap, there is familiarity there. We talked about it earlier in the show how important that was when I told you I didn’t buy what Barry Trotz was selling about his relationship with Andrew Brunette.

Frank Seravalli: Do you think the Rangers were waiting for this, because a lot of people have made the point as Peter Laviolette has been connected to New York, which was they’ve had a month to hire, what more intel, what more info did you need before pulling the trigger for a guy who’s taken three different teams to the Stanley Cup Final and won once?

Colby Cohen: I think this is a second hiring for Drury, and he wants to take his time to make sure he gets it right, and I just don’t think anybody has blown him out of the water.

Here’s the other thing I think’s going on in New York. I think they’ve got their eye on the Pittsburgh situation. As much as everyone is going to say it has nothing to do with that, I do think they’ve got their eye on that situation. We’re hearing it might be Kyle Dubas, then we’re hearing it might not be Dubas, I just think that Drury is taking his time. He wants to make sure this is the right hire because we know…

Frank Seravalli: There’s no chance Mike Sullivan breaks free, is that what you’re suggesting?

Colby Cohen: We know that these GMs generally get two hires. Two head coaching hires before that seat gets really hot, and so I think at the end of the day, he wants to make sure that this is the right hire.

So, I think Hynes will get an interview in New York. I think they’ll absolutely have some conversations. What happens? I don’t really know, Laviolette seems to be the frontrunner, you’d know better than me. But I think in the next couple of days, I think we’ll see a new bench boss for the Rangers.

And yes, I was making that connection.

Frank Seravalli: Okay, well I don’t buy it for one second that Sullivan is leaving the Penguins. Too much power, too many dollars, and he’s wired right in there with Fenway Sports Group.

My prediction? The next position filled is the Calgary Flames. I believe that Gerard Gallant, speaking of the Rangers, too expensive, not a candidate. I believe they had an initial discussion and the Flames are not willing and ready to pay somewhere in the neighbourhood that Gallant would be looking for and accustomed to, especially coming off that Rangers deal and what is left on the table for him this season.

Colby Cohen: Right, but if you’re Gallant, don’t you still get the difference from the Rangers?

Frank Seravalli: You still get the difference, but why would you work for the same amount of money? What’s the incentive to jump back in? Why not wait and see what happens? Get paid for the whole year and not work. I don’t know about you, but that sounds pretty enticing to me

Colby Cohen: There’s only 32 jobs. You’ve got to take them, you don’t want to be too passive.

Frank Seravalli: I’m just telling you that they’ve had an initial conversation and that’s not going to happen, at least from what I’m told.

So my prediction is the Flames fill their job, and I still it’s going to be Mitch Love, their internal candidate. Two-time AHL coach of the year.

You can watch the full episode here…